To Remember Her By
by Templarlady
Summary: When Bill and Alex go out to a party, a little of Bill's past catches up with him.
1. Chapter 1

The character of Bill Compton belongs to Charliane Harris and Alan Ball - all other characters originate in my warped imagination.

"TO REMEMBER HER BY"

I was curled up on the sofa in Bill's lounge, in my usual book-reading position just waiting for him to wake at dusk. I had got up an hour or so ago and made myself something to eat. We were going out tonight to a party to celebrate Bill's success on the TV chat show. I had brought everything I thought I would need to Bill's place and we had our own celebration the previous evening. Bill had insisted on giving me more of his blood. He had been made more nervous than ever for my safety by the publicity following the show. It had been a great success so far as we were concerned, although it had certainly stirred up some controversy. People were at least talking about the subject and quite a large majority appeared to have been won over by Bill's charm and evident sincerity.

In general, it appeared that even people who feared vampires disapproved of the hate groups' attitude to humans, and the fact that I had almost been shot simply for being with Bill had aroused universal condemnation. Charles had been delighted with the positive publicity but had been sufficiently wary to increase security for all of his sheriffs.

As I sat reading quietly I suddenly felt a difference in me, a heightened sensitivity and a slight unease. After a moment I realised that Bill had woken and I was feeling his consciousness within me, his unease at the fact that I was no longer there, lying beside him. We had drifted off to sleep with his body wrapped around me like a python, holding me in his arms as if to protect me from any harm during his sleep. I smiled at the thought and was about to get up and go downstairs to reassure him when I realised that if I could feel him, then he could also feel me. Sure enough, after a few seconds the uneasiness faded as he realised that I was safe.

I put down my book and headed downstairs anyway, tapping in the code to open the security door. I could hear running water as I entered the room and realised that Bill was in the shower in the adjoining bathroom. I poked my head around the door and stood for a moment admiring the clean, sculpted lines of his back and thighs. He turned his head and saw me watching him.

"See anything you fancy?" he asked archly.

"Not from this angle" I replied.

He laughed and switched off the shower, getting out and pulling a large fluffy towel off the rail. He stood for a moment dripping on the bathroom floor and narrowed his eyes as he regarded me suspiciously.

"Should I search you for honey before letting you in?" he asked.

I giggled "Oh come on, you enjoyed it!"

"I think I'd better search you anyway, just in case." He dropped the towel and before I had a chance to move he had me pinned down on the bed. "Hmm...nothing in the pockets. How about in here?" He pulled out the neck of my T shirt and peered suspiciously down my cleavage.

"Get out of there!" I laughed, wriggling free.

"What...no honey?" he said in a disappointed tone. "Oh wait...I know where to find some..." He slid his hands under my skirt and up my thighs, pulling me back up the bed into his embrace.

"I thought we were going to a party tonight?" I asked a little breathlessly.

"We have some time. Gerry's coming to pick us up at eight."

I looked at him, kneeling naked on the bed, and leaned towards him for a kiss. In response he picked me up and placed me on his lap, pushing up my skirt and hooking his fingers over the top of my panties. Before I could stop him he gave a jerk of his hand. Damn! That was another pair gone. I should start buying them by the dozen!

I put my hands on his muscular shoulders and held on as he eased himself gently into me and began rocking me on top of him. As usual I could feel his arousal through the bond but this time I also felt a deep, quiet contentment which poured into me as we kissed passionately, our bodies locked together. As different as we were, through the bond we had created we felt like two halves of the same creature, only made whole when we were joined.

An hour or so later we decided we really should be getting ready for the party!

"You decided not to drive tonight?" I asked.

"Gerry offered." said Bill "so he's coming here to give us a lift."

"He's an old friend of yours, is that right?" I asked "How long have you known him?"

Bill's eyes took on a faraway look for a moment. "I met him in London in the nineteen thirties" he said. "Perhaps I'll tell you about it one day. But we don't have time now, you need to go and get ready."

So I headed off upstairs leaving Bill gazing out of the window lost in thought.

* * *

London 1935

I opened my eyes to darkness. My body was curled up inside my travelling trunk and all my muscles appeared to have stiffened up. I unfastened the locking mechanism, carefully lifted the lid and looked out. I was in a small hotel room, empty but for my trunk and the rest of my belongings in several more trunks.

I climbed out a little stiffly and stretched my aching muscles. The cramped position in which I was required to travel was awkward but a bigger trunk, in which I could stretch out, would appear too much like a coffin and attract unwanted attention. Fortunately the stiffness vanished almost immediately. Nothing lasted long now, pain, discomfort, pleasure, nothing. Since I had left Lorena in Los Angeles I had simply felt numb. My first instinct had been to get as far away from her as I could and so I had booked a passage to England landing in Southampton a few nights ago. All the arrangements had been made in advance and my luggage had been delivered safely to a small hotel, very much like this one. After slipping out of the window of the room where my trunks had been placed and re-entering the Hotel by the front door to check in, I had walked the dark streets around the docks almost dizzy with hunger since I had not fed since I had left Los Angeles.

It was the first time that I had ever had to hunt alone, Lorena and I had always worked as a team. I walked slowly along the dockside through the groups of stevedores working to unload the ships by the light of the few street lamps and passed a long dark alleyway. I looked around casually but there appeared to be no-one watching me and so I headed down the alley. It seemed the sort of place where I might find what I was looking for. Lorena had not given much thought to who her victims were, only that they were easy to catch and would not be easily missed, but even in my extreme hunger I was reluctant to kill an entirely innocent person. I was halfway along the alley when I sensed someone standing quietly in a dark doorway, waiting. At last!

As I strolled past the doorway an arm slipped around my neck and I felt the tip of a knife begin to slide up between my ribs. Oh yes, this man was an expert! Although I was weakened by hunger, he was no match for me and I slammed him up against the wall of the alley and sank my fangs into his dirty neck. Moments later he slid out of my grasp and fell to the ground. I stood over him, panting and licking my lips. Then I bent down and placed my hand on his chest. He was dead.

His blood had tasted harsh and sour but it would sustain me until I could find something better. I crouched down by his side, took the knife from his hand and cut his throat, carefully obscuring the marks of my fangs. Hopefully the authorities would assume he had been killed elsewhere in an argument with another thief and then dumped in the alley, if they cared at all. He was, after all, one less problem for them. I wiped my mouth on my handkerchief and walked out of the other end of the alleyway.

I had drained the thief, but I realised that my hunger was not yet satisfied and so I carried on walking, heading this time away from the docks and into the town itself. The streets were still quite busy with people either heading home for the evening or out to the bars and theatres and before long I spotted two women standing on a street corner. I watched them for a while and was soon sure what they were as I saw them speak to several passing gentlemen, always men on their own. They were a pair of whores. One of them would do.

I headed down the street, crossed over and casually strolled towards them. Sure enough, the blond one stepped out in front of me and put her hand on my arm.

"Evenin' sir" she said "lookin' for a good time?"

I paused and examined her thoughtfully, as if trying to decide what to do.

"How much?" I asked suspiciously.

She named a sum, which was not too outrageous and I gave her a smile.

"Do you have a room?" I asked.

"Oh no sir!" she laughed. "But there's a doorway down here" she pointed to an alleyway behind her "and Maisie here'll keep a lookout for us!"

That could be awkward, it would mean that the body would be found quickly but I was confident that I could get well away, and I was still very hungry.

I gave her another smile. "Fine." I said "Let's go."

I took her arm and directed her down the alley, careful not to let the other girl, Maisie, get a good look at my face. I pulled the girl into the doorway, clapped a hand over her mouth and bit down into her throat. Her blood was hot and sweet, so much better than that of the thief I had fed on earlier and I pulled back for a moment to savour the taste. The girl was struggling weakly in my arms and I looked down for a moment into her terrified eyes. Lorena had always killed her prey, and she had taught me to do the same, but now I found myself wondering why it was necessary. This poor girl had a hard enough life as it was, she didn't deserve to die just to provide me with a meal and I suddenly realised that she didn't have to.

Lorena had also taught me to glamour humans and we very soon discovered that I was much better at it than she was. I looked down into the girl's eyes and felt that connection...felt myself empty and cold. Her struggles grew weaker as I pulled her mind into mine and began to manipulate it, removing the memory of what I had done to her and replacing it with a false memory of a rather more...traditional... encounter.

I bit my thumb and smeared the blood over the fang marks on her neck, healing them almost instantly, and released her. She slumped against me and gave a little gasp.

"Oh sir, I feel quite faint!" she said.

I reached into my pocket and handed her the sum she had asked for.

"Here," I added a few more coins to the amount "you look quite pale my dear...get yourself something to eat." I gave her a last smile and walked briskly out of the alley, leaving her leaning against the doorway looking after me in amazement.

I thought about this as I sat on the bed in the London Hotel, wondering why I had done it and realised that, for the first time since I had entered that cottage in the woods in the days after the war, I felt that I could live with what I had done, what I had to do to survive. Perhaps, now that I was free of Lorena's influence, I could finally come to terms with my existence after all.

A few nights later I was sitting in the corner of a rather sleazy bar, with a glass of whisky on the bar counter next to me for camouflage, watching the customers with a lazy interest. I was no longer so desperately hungry but, well you never knew. Some humans appeared to be drawn to us, without knowing why exactly, perhaps I would find one. A woman would be nice, one who might satisfy a different hunger. I smiled to myself, thinking of the little blond whore in Southampton. Her life might well be cut short by a customer one day, but for once I would not be to blame. Her death, at least, would not burden my conscience.

A sudden burst of laughter from further along the bar caught my attention and I looked around to see a pair of young women, one a cheerful looking redhead and the other slight and dark, chatting to a man standing at the bar. He had evidently said something outrageous and the redhead gave him a little push, giggling. He laughed along with everyone else but soon left the bar and the two girls were gradually edged along in my direction. Soon the dark girl took a step back and bumped into me.

"Oh! I'm so sorry sir!" she said, backing away.

"That's all right" I said smiling down at her "I quite enjoyed it actually."

Her friend giggled but she looked slightly shocked and lowered her eyes. She was evidently not quite as forward as her friend and I imagined that she had been persuaded to come in here against her better judgement. I was just about to invite them to have a drink with me when the redhead turned towards the door and said "Oh look Edith! It's Gerry!" I turned to see who she was looking at and found myself gazing into a pair of sharp dark eyes which appeared to be trying to bore into my head. I knew immediately that it was another vampire.

He was staring at me with equal surprise. He came over and greeted the two girls with a charming smile. "Well hello ladies!" he said "Off for a night out on the town are we?"

"We're off to the Picture House to see the latest movie" said the redhead "Edith here has a terrible crush on Errol Flynn!"

Edith blushed a charming pink and said "Oh Daisy, that's not true!"

"I hear he's not to be trusted with ladies like yourselves!" I said demurely.

"Oh, and how would you know that?" asked Daisy.

"As a matter of fact I've just arrived from Los Angeles." I said smiling at her.

"Oooo...is that why you have that delicious accent?" she asked.

At this point Gerry broke in and tapped her on the shoulder. "You ladies had better be off if you're to catch "Captain Blood"." he said, shooing the girls towards the door.

They both gave a few little squeals and scurried out, waving to me as they went. Gerry looked me over carefully, "Los Angeles huh?" he said "I thought I hadn't seen you around before. Would you care to take a little walk with me?" He glanced around the crowded bar and then back to me.

"Certainly – if you wish." I said, and we left the bar together and began to stroll down the street outside.

"You have the advantage of me sir" he said. "I heard the ladies call my name, but not yours?"

"My name is Compton, William Compton." I said

"Hopkins, Gerald Hopkins, known to my friends as Gerry." I noticed that he put a particular emphasis on "friends". I smiled at him.

"My friends call me Bill" I said.

He grinned at me. "Well I'll call you Bill and you can call me Gerry. How long have you been in England?"

"Six days." I admitted.

"Well, I imagine that you could probably use a friend then!"

We strolled on talking quietly. He told me that he lived with his maker, an ancient vampire by the name of Lazlo Petrovic but who called himself Laurence Peterson now as it fitted better with his current position. He had accumulated considerable wealth over the years and lived in a sizeable house in Belgravia. He used the house almost like a Gentleman's Club for a specific type of "Gentleman". Edith and Daisy were, it appeared, housemaids but, although they all considered him somewhat eccentric, none of the staff had any idea of the true nature of their employer.

He asked me where I was staying and assured me that Lazlo would be very pleased to have me come and visit, even stay for a while. This seemed to me to be a good idea, better and safer than the Hotel, certainly and so I agreed to meet him at his maker's house the next night.

The following night I approached the house with some care, not sure that I had found the correct address. It was a substantial property on the end of a Georgian Terrace on Cliveden Place and must have been worth a small fortune. I had acquired a fair amount of money of my own through judicious investment of my share of Lorena's "ill-gotten gains". Much as I may have disapproved of her methods, she was certainly successful, but nothing like this!

I walked up the three steps to the front door and knocked a little tentatively. To my surprise the door was opened by a uniformed butler.

"Mr Compton?" he asked politely.

"Yes." I replied, somewhat surprised.

"Please come this way sir." he said "Mr Peterson is expecting you."

He showed me into a large reception room and went out. In a few moments the door burst open and Gerry came in.

"Bill!" he exclaimed ."You've arrived, good. Lazlo's on his way down now. Just remember to show him the respect due to his age and you'll be fine."

There was a slight noise and I turned to the door. After Gerry's reference to his age I was expecting someone who appeared older than me, but the man who entered could not have been more than twenty years old when he was turned. He was slightly built with short blond hair and startling grey eyes. He gave me a brilliant smile and held out his hands.

"You must be Bill!" he said "welcome to London!"

I soon discovered that Lazlo, or Laurence as I learned to call him in company, was an extraordinarily generous host. He provided me with a light tight room and a key, although this was never necessary since the staff appeared to work around the clock. The two housemaids Edith and Daisy appeared delighted to see me although they did not often get the opportunity as the housekeeper kept them hard at work.

I was just beginning to think that my life was getting quite comfortable when Gerry asked me if I would care to join Lazlo and a few friends in his rooms one night.

What for, exactly?" I asked rather suspiciously.

"Oh just a relaxing evening among friends." Gerry replied evasively. "There will be a few ladies there..."

I was distinctly uncomfortable with this but really didn't think I could turn down my host and still remain as a guest in his house, so I reluctantly agreed. When I arrived in Lazlo's rooms I found that the party had already begun. Lazlo and Gerry were there with two other male vampires who were introduced as Elliott and Samir. Also present were three young women including, to my surprise, Daisy, the red headed housemaid who was lying on a sofa with her lace blouse half unfastened, and who waved lazily at me as I entered. She patted the sofa invitingly and took a swig from what appeared to be a large glass of brandy.

"Come and sit with me Bill!" she called.

Well, I might as well enjoy myself, I thought as I went over to the sofa and sat down next to her. She immediately relaxed against me and put her head on my shoulder. Her eyes appeared slightly glazed, which I assumed was the effect of the brandy. Before I could say anything she put her head back across my shoulder, baring her throat and asked, "Hungry sweetie?"

I stiffened in shock and glanced over at Gerry and Lazlo, each of whom by now, I noticed, had a half naked girl on their laps. Gerry grinned at me and said "Go ahead, she's right, you do look hungry!"

I looked down at Daisy who put down her brandy and slipped her hand behind my head, pulling my face towards her. I kissed her throat gently and, as I did so, I noticed that she was wearing an unusual necklace. A thin gold chain on which was hung a round opal. A further thin chain hung from the round stone and on the end of this was a larger opal in the shape of a teardrop. It was a beautiful piece and, I thought vaguely, somewhat out of place. It seemed too expensive for a housemaid, but then she began to press her body against me and I dismissed it from my mind as I sank my fangs into her pale throat.

Gerry had been right, I was hungry and I took a deep draught of her sweet blood. For a moment everything seemed normal and then I began to feel a slight dizziness. At first I put it down to the brandy, I had fed on humans who were drunk before and knew that it would pass in a moment. But it didn't. Instead the feeling intensified and as I looked back into her glazed eyes I realised with horror that she had been drugged, obviously to make her more compliant. I looked up at Lazlo who was watching me with a smile.

"Just a drop or two of laudanum in the brandy," he explained with that same lazy smile. "It helps to lower the inhibitions. Who knows, it may even help you to loosen up a little William!" He turned away with a laugh and I sat back against the cushioned sofa and gazed up at the crystal chandelier overhead. It looked like a shower of stars spinning into a vortex of light, dragging me in. I felt Daisy's hot hands running over my chest and down my stomach and suddenly a harsh lust flared up in me like a savage fire burning up from my loins.

I picked her up and turned her to face the back of the sofa, burying my face in the soft red curls at the back of her neck. My hands reached under her skirts and slid up her naked thighs ripping away the lace from beneath the skirts and kneeling on the edge of the sofa behind her. She laid her head back over my shoulder and gave a soft moan, pushing her buttocks back towards me, inviting me to take her.

Part of me knew that her wanton behaviour was caused at least partly by the drug she had been given but the part of me that didn't care was in control now. The part of me that only wanted to feel her soft warmth enveloping me as I thrust myself into her.

I plunged my fingers inside her, feeling the slick wetness I craved and with my other hand began to tear at the buttons on my trousers, struggling to free my rock hard, aching member. I felt a button break off and then I was free. I pulled up her skirts and dragged her back onto me jerking my hips as I drove myself into her with a sigh of relief. I held her to me with one arm around her waist and used the other hand to support myself on the back of the sofa. Daisy's cries began to penetrate my awareness, but whether they were cries of pleasure or pain I neither knew nor cared.

I was vaguely aware of eyes on me and I looked around to see Lazlo watching me with a curiously intent expression. Gerry was lying on the other sofa with one of the other girls on top of him and the vampire who had been introduced to me as Samir was lying flat on his back on he rug before the fire, his eyes closed, a thin trickle of blood running from his lips. I dragged my concentration back to Daisy with an effort, pulled her hips back towards my stomach and with a few more thrusts, drove myself to a shattering climax. As I pulled myself from her warm, wet flesh and sank down on the sofa I saw the other vampire, Elliott, approaching. He put a hand on Daisy's shoulder and tried to pull her away from me but I had an arm firmly around her waist. I hissed at him angrily and he backed off. She turned to me with what I thought, in my dazed state, might just have been relief and laid her head on my shoulder with a sigh. At this point I think I must have passed out.

I woke the next evening in my room with no idea of how I had got there. I sat up realising that I felt perfectly normal. The effect of the drug and the brandy was gone, as if it had never happened. This should not have surprised me, but somehow, it did. I remembered the time when I was sixteen years old and a group of us had found some of Jonas Stackhouse's moonshine in the back of the barn. A few hours later I was as sick as a dog and felt that my head was about to explode. I had staggered home, convinced that I was dying and my father had generously allowed me time to sober up before giving me a good thrashing.

I suddenly felt the need for some fresh air and got up from the bed and headed downstairs towards for the back door. As I made my way down the corridor a door opened and Daisy came out, half hidden by the pile of laundry in her arms. I stopped dead in my tracks and she turned and saw me, dropping a few pieces of laundry in the process.

"Evening Mr William." she said quietly, crouching to pick them up again.

"Good evening Daisy" I replied "are you well? You look a little pale."

"I'm sorry sir" she said looking down at her feet, "I was out late last night. It won't happen again!" She glanced up at me and I realised with a shock that she had absolutely no memory of what had happened the previous evening.

I forced myself to smile at her. "That's all right Daisy, take care now won't you."

The door opened again and Edith joined us in the narrow corridor with another armful of laundry.

"C'mon Daisy! Move!" she said. "Sorry sir, we'll just be going."

She moved across the corridor and tried to open another door but she had too much in her arms to reach the handle. I reached over and opened the door for her.

"Thank you sir." she said breathlessly "please don't tell Mr Laurence sir, she's just a little shaky this morning, that's all, she'll be fine" and hustled Daisy through the door, following her a moment later.

I stood in the corridor for a moment stunned by the realisation that not only had Lazlo drugged his housemaid and given her to his guests as a plaything, but he also expected her to do a full day's work afterwards! As if it was not enough to glamour away the memory of what had happened to her, he had even given her a memory which made her believe that what she felt afterwards was her fault! The fact that she had felt the need to apologise, to me, who had bitten and brutalised her made me feel physically sick.

I staggered to the back door and went out into the cool air heading across the road into a small park and sitting down on a bench. I put my head in my hands feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself. I had thought I was better than this! Was my veneer of civilization really so thin that it could be torn away so easily? What had happened to the conscience I had been so proud of?

I decided that I would have to leave, but where could I go? A copy of the London Times lay on the bench beside me and I glanced down at it. I was folded open to a story from the US. A report of the trial of Bruno Hauptmann for the Lindberg kidnapping. But no, bad as my situation was, crawling back to Lorena would be worse.

Suddenly I sensed someone coming up behind me and I turned my head. Gerry put his hand on my shoulder and asked "Are you all right?"

"No!" I said "I am very far from being all right!"

Gerry sat down next to me on the copy of the Times and asked "What's wrong?"

"You don't know?" I said amazed "last night's party, that's what was wrong!"

He chuckled "You and Daisy seemed to be having a good time!"

I glared at him angrily "She was drugged Gerry!" I hissed "and so was I! How dare he do that to me!"

Gerry heaved a sigh and leaned back on the bench. "Lazlo is very old and very powerful" he said "he is used to using humans for his own purposes, he thinks nothing of it. Believe me, he isn't going to change."

I stood up. "I'm going to pack. I'll leave tonight."

"You're leaving" Gerry seemed surprised "Why? More to the point, where will you go?"

"I have no idea, but I can't stay here. I could never attend another of Lazlo's soirées."

"Then don't, he won't mind really. He was just being hospitable." Gerry got up and put a hand on my arm to restrain me. "Please, stay." He looked down for a moment "I have to admit, I don't like it any more than you do, but he is my maker, I have no choice."

Well, that I could understand. I began to realise why Gerry wanted me to stay so badly. He needed someone who understood how he felt. Someone he could talk to.

"You're sure he won't mind?" I asked.

"I'll talk to him" said Gerry.

"Make sure that he understands that I will never again attend one of his parties, or feed from anyone he offers to me!"

"It'll be fine, don't worry. He has said that he is happy for me to have some company." He smiled at me hopefully.

So, somewhat against my better judgement, I carried on living at Lazlo's house in Belgravia. I had as little to do with him as I could, although I was polite and respectful when we met, I tried to avoid him if possible. He didn't seem to mind this and it looked as if Gerry was right. Lazlo was happy for him to have some company. Gerry and I became good friends, attending Theatres and Picture Houses together, going out to bars and arguing about the relative merits of Stanley Baldwin and Clement Atlee and their respective chances in the coming General Election. Then came the night a few months later when Gerry burst into my room one evening looking horribly shocked and sat down on my bed.

"Bill" he said. "I need you to help me and not ask too many questions. You're not going to like this."

"What's happened?" I asked.

"Just come with me please." He led me through the house and up to Lazlo's rooms and ushered me into the chamber which I remembered from the party. There had evidently been some celebrating going on that evening for some reason as the chamber was a mess. One of the curtains was hanging off the rail and several burst cushions lay on the floor with feathers trailing out of them, but my eyes were unable to leave the sofa in the corner of the room.

Daisy lay sprawled across the sofa, her head over the edge and her red curls trailing on the floor. Her thin dress had been half torn off her body and blood was dripping slowly from a vicious bite wound in her neck. Her trailing arm also had several bites visible on it. Her eyes were open and glazed and it was obvious that she was dead.

I stood silently, staring at her for a moment and turned to Gerry who was standing against the wall holding his head in his hands.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"I don't know" he said "I wasn't here. Lazlo just called me and told me to clear up!"

"Clear up!" I was horrified and it showed in my voice.

"Bill, Bill, listen..." he said "There's nothing we can do for her, we have to get rid of the body."

I stared at him in silence. "Listen Bill, if the body is found it will lead the Police straight here. We can't have that...you know this." He took my arm. "Please...help me Bill, I can't do this alone."

I took a deep breath. I knew he was right, there was nothing I could do for poor Daisy now. I could only help Gerry from suffering the consequences of his maker's actions. I helped him remove the remains of her clothes and place her naked body on the rug. As we began to roll it up I noticed the opal necklace was still around her neck.

"Better take that" said Gerry, "if she's found someone might recognise it."

I gently removed it and put it in my pocket. "Where did she get that anyway?" I asked as we rolled her up in the rug.

"Some guest of Lazlo's gave it to her." said Gerry. He thought for a moment. "I can't recall his name but I think he came from the US too. Tall, blond, arrogant, told her he was going to come back for her and take her to America with him."

We loaded the rug containing Daisy's body into Lazlo's car and drove out of London to his house in the countryside, fortunately it was not far out and it had the advantage of a lake in the grounds. We tied up the rug, weighted it with stones and rowed out to the centre of the lake. I watched sadly as poor Daisy sank through the dark water and vowed that I would not stay another night under Lazlo's roof.

The next evening I had loaded my bags into the car as Gerry had agreed to take me to a hotel. As I walked towards the front door for the last time Edith came out of the parlour and saw me.

"Oh, Mr William sir," she said "may I ask if you've seen Daisy?"

"Why would you think that Edith" I asked, surprised.

"She didn't come back last night sir and..." she paused, embarrassed. "I know she was very fond of you sir." I noticed a tear starting in her eye and I reached into my pocket for a handkerchief. As I pulled it out I felt something else tangled with it. It was Daisy's opal necklace. Edith's eyes widened as she spotted it. I don't think I'd ever had to think so fast before.

"Yes Edith," I said "I saw her last night. "You remember her friend from America, the one who gave her the necklace?"

"Oh yes sir, she always said he was going to come back for her." She put her hands up to her mouth "Ooh, did he sir? Did he come back?"

"Yes, that's right. She had to leave with him in a hurry, she was sorry not to be able to say goodbye to you Edith but she asked me to give you this," I handed her the necklace "to remember her by."

Edith, looked down at the necklace in her hands. "Why thank you sir. That's very kind of you."

She looked a little concerned and I asked "What's wrong?"

"Well sir, I hope Thomas doesn't think I did anything...I hope he understands, that's all"

"Who's Thomas?" I asked curiously.

She blushed furiously. "Why, he's my young man sir. He works as a chauffeur for the Andersons, just up the road. But they're leaving soon to move to the country. I was hoping he would ask me to marry him, but then I'd have to leave my position here..." she looked uncertain. I reached over and placed my hand on her cheek, looking directly into her eyes.

"If he should ask you Edith, I think you should accept him and leave with him. Get away from this place."

I took my hand away and she blinked "Very good sir." she said and turned away.

I walked out of the front door and got into the car with Gerry. I didn't look back.

* * *

I got out of the shower and dressed quickly. Gerry was coming to pick us up in half an hour. I had a new dress for the party, a pale moss green which looked good with my black hair. I opened my small jewellery case, wondering what would go best with it. I had nearly decided on a plain gold chain when I noticed the small velvet box in the corner. How could I have forgotten that! I opened the case and took out my grandmother's necklace.

I always referred to it as grandmother's but actually it had belonged to her mother. It was a delicate gold chain on which was suspended a round opal, with another opal, shaped like a teardrop hanging from it. Gran had told me the story when I was a child, of how it had been given to her mother as a gift by a friend when she worked as a housemaid in Belgravia in the thirties. The friend had gone to America to be married and had left the necklace as a parting gift "to remember her by."

The friend's name had been Daisy. Gran was insistent that I should always remember this. "That was the point" she always used to say "the whole purpose of the necklace was to remember her by."

As I fastened it around my neck and headed downstairs I wondered what Bill would think of it...


	2. Chapter 2

As I came down the stairs I could see Bill standing in the hallway wearing a smart grey tailored suit and looking at his watch. He looked up, saw me and smiled.

"You look lovely" he said "That colour suits you really well….." he stopped, staring at me, his eyes wide with shock.

"Bill? What's the matter?" I said as he moved slowly towards me staring at my throat.

I hadn't thought it possible for his face to get any paler, but it had. He looked as if he had seen a ghost. I backed away from him nervously.

"Bill? What is it?"

He reached forward and took hold of me by the shoulder, still silent, his fangs beginning to extend slightly. I tried to pull away and he tightened his grip, his fingers digging into my flesh hard enough to leave bruises.

I took hold of his arm and tried, ineffectually, to pull him off me. "Bill! Stop it, you're hurting me!" I began to panic and struggle in earnest now but I knew that I had no chance of getting away from him. Not if he wanted to hold on to me. Suddenly he seemed to wake up and let go of me, backing away.

"I….I'm sorry…" he said shakily.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" I asked angrily, rubbing at my shoulder with my other hand.

"Wh….where did you get that necklace?" he whispered.

"This?" I asked putting my hand up to the necklace "it belonged to my grandmother…..well, my great grandmother actually, why?"

Bill seemed to snap out of the little trance he was in. "Can we talk about this later?" he said. "We'll need to be going soon." He seemed to suddenly notice me absently rubbing my shoulder and reached out for me. I flinched away from him.

"Oh Alex, my precious!" he whispered, a tiny red tear appearing in the corner of his eye "I've hurt you…..I'm so sorry…it's just…." His head snapped up as I heard the sound of a car coming up the driveway.

"We have to go, I promise I'll explain everything later….." He took my arm and started towards the front door, then paused and turned to me. "Wait….I have to ask you to change that necklace. You can't wear it to the party."

"Why on earth not!"

He came towards me and took my face gently between his hands. I flinched again, I couldn't help it, but the pain in his eyes as I did so simply tore at my heart.

"Please Alex" he said quietly "you've said that you trust me? Please, please trust me now and do as I ask. I promise I will explain everything when we come back." He kissed me tenderly and then brushed his lips across the fingertip shaped bruises which were already beginning to form on my shoulder. I took a deep breath. Thanks to Bill's blood the pain in my shoulder was easing already and I knew that the bruises would fade quickly.

"All right, I'll change it." I said heading back upstairs, "But Bill….." I turned to look back down at him "…..this had better be good!"

Gerry was driving and there was a bodyguard with him, supplied by Charles "just in case". We climbed into the back of the car together and sat in silence. Bill took my hand and began to stroke it gently, but he didn't look at me until we reached the Town Hall where the party was to be held. As Gerry and the bodyguard were getting out of the car he turned to me and said "We really need to appear normal for the cameras, you know how important this is to our cause, can you do that for me?"

I straightened up a little. "Sure, I can do that." I said.

He gave a little sigh "I'm sorry about this but..." Gerry opened the door and offered his hand to help me out with a bright smile and I turned away from Bill and concentrated on getting out of the car and ignoring the camera flashes.

The party seemed to be the longest I had ever attended and seemed to pass in a blur of faces. I was constantly being introduced to important people, only about half of which I actually remembered. But I was unable to concentrate properly as I was seriously worried about what was going on with Bill. I had absolutely no idea what the problem was but I told myself that he had never lied to me, I did trust him and I would just have to wait. Nevertheless, I had to make an effort to appear to enjoy myself and I could tell that Bill was uncomfortable too, although he was as charming and photogenic as ever. Whenever we were together he held on to my hand as if he were afraid that I would run away and on the couple of occasions when we danced together he held me tight to him, his arms wrapped firmly around me. When we were separated by the other partygoers I noticed that he kept his eyes on me as much as he could. I'm sure that other people noticed this as well but perhaps, after his declaration on "Late Night Talk", they simply thought it romantic.

Eventually we were able to say our goodbyes and leave.

Two hours later I was lying back in Bill's huge bed staring at the ceiling and trying to take in all that he had told me. He sat at the head of the bed in a pair of silk pyjama trousers, leaning against the padded headboard and watching me with an expression in which sadness and guilt appeared in equal amounts.

"Alex? Are you okay?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes, I'm just...shocked." I said. "Poor Daisy, we always believed she had gone to America to be married and now..."

"Alex, I'm so...so sorry!" He said.

"You didn't want me to wear the necklace to the party because you thought that Gerry might recognise it?" He nodded silently. "What does he think about it?" I asked.

"I've no idea, we've never spoken about it since that day." he said bleakly. "All these years and I've never asked him how he felt, how long he stayed with Lazlo, how many other bodies he had to dispose of after I was gone..." He buried his head in his hands and gave a sob. "Oh Alex, what must you think of us?"

I turned to look at him and saw the red tears oozing out between his fingers. "Bill, you have nothing to be sorry about. It wasn't your fault. There really wasn't anything else you could have done." I reached out for him and pulled him to me. He offered no resistance and slid down beside me putting an arm around my waist and burying his face in my hair. "Oh Bill, darling..." He clung to me, sobbing. I had never seen him like this before.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." he repeated.

"But what else could you have done?" I asked.

"I should have had the courage to leave after the party" he said "I knew it would happen again, but I was afraid, lonely, I didn't know if I could survive on my own."

"And what would have happened if you had left?" I asked "Daisy would still have died and Gerry would simply have got someone else to help him. Worse, Edith would have asked questions about her disappearance." I ran my fingers through his thick soft hair, stroking him, trying to comfort him. "She never said who gave her the necklace, just that it was given to her, almost as if she couldn't remember." I looked down at him "did you glamour her?" Bill looked back at me with that same guilty expression.

"Just a little" he admitted "I wanted to persuade her to leave. It wasn't safe for her to stay in service there."

"And you succeeded" I said. "She married her Thomas and moved away to the country. If you hadn't done that she may well have met the same fate as poor Daisy and I...I would never have existed at all..."

"I'm sure Lazlo had no trouble replacing her, Daisy too. How many others died in that house?"

"Bill, you are only responsible for your own actions, not anyone else's. You can't blame yourself for what may have happened after you left!"

"It's strange" he said "I've killed a good many people over the years, and most of them I don't regret. But that poor girl's death has been on my conscience all these years. I've never spoken of this to anyone before, I was too ashamed." He looked up at me with such pain in his eyes that I could hardly bear it.

"What must you think of me now?" he repeated. "After what I did to that poor girl after Lazlo drugged me at the party, how could you ever trust me again?"

"Of course I trust you." I said "I trust you because you've told me the truth. You could easily have told me the same story you told Edith, that Daisy went to America to be married. I wouldn't have known any different, would I?" I took a tissue from the box on my side of the bed and began wiping the bloody tears from his pale face. "But you told me the truth. I can only imagine how hard that must have been for you. Her death was tragic, but it was not your fault. And you certainly saved Edith, for which, since she was my great grandmother, I am very grateful!"

Bill gave a sigh and rolled onto his back. "I'm sorry I behaved so strangely earlier. I didn't mean to frighten you, much less hurt you. But seeing the necklace again, after all this time...it just took me back." He turned on his side and looked down at me. "I find it hard to believe that you could feel the same about me, having heard this. There is so much about me that you don't know, that I have been afraid to tell you."

"Oh Bill, what have you told me tonight?" I asked. "You've told me how you broke away from your maker. How you arrived in a strange country, friendless and alone and immediately tried to better yourself. You were starving, and yet you only killed someone who had tried to kill you first. You actively tried to find someone who would. Then when you fed on someone else, rather than kill her, you glamoured her into forgetting it. Damn it Bill, you even paid her...overpaid her in fact!" I shifted over to snuggle up against him. "What more could you be expected to do? You found somewhere safe to live, you can't be blamed for trying to keep yourself safe! You only attended that party out of respect for your host and what happened there was caused by the drug that Lazlo had administered without your knowledge. After that you had nothing more to do with him."

Bill put his arm around me and said "I tipped that poor girl's body into the lake!"

"You did it to help your friend. Sure, it wasn't the honourable thing to do but there was nothing you could have done to help her at that point was there?"

"I suppose not" he said with a sigh.

I gave a little giggle.

"What?" he asked looking down at me somewhat disapprovingly.

"Sorry," I said "but I've just realised that I'm lying in bed with a man who knew my great grandmother. That is just weird!"

He laughed "I'm sorry" he said, "it's true what they say, it's a small world!"

"What was she like?" I asked.

"Edith?...she was quiet, a little shy. Daisy was by far the more outgoing, which was probably the reason Lazlo noticed her. Edith was just pulled along with her." He brushed a strand of hair back off my face. "She had your colouring, dark hair and pale blue/grey eyes. You said she married Thomas...the chauffeur she told me about?"

"Yes, she moved out to the country with him and had four children, one of whom was my grandmother." I paused "You do realise that if it were not for you she might have died the same way Daisy did. If it were not for your action, I might never have existed...or not been the same person..." I stared up at the ceiling trying to get my head around this idea.

"Well, at least I've accomplished something then" he smiled down at me "something good, since you mean the world to me." I rolled over and snuggled up against him again. I could feel through the bond that his distress was easing away. "So you forgive me then?" he asked quietly.

"Whatever for?" I asked surprised.

In answer he leaned down and kissed my shoulder gently. "I hurt you didn't I?" he asked "I should have been more careful."

"Oh, it's fine, it didn't last long and you'd had a bad shock."

"That's no excuse!" he said "I just wasn't thinking, I should have known I was hurting you. I'm so sorry." He leaned down and kissed me gently "You're so good to me, so kind and generous, I really don't deserve you."

"No you don't!" I laughed "but I think I'll put up with you for a bit longer."

Bill took me in his arms and kissed me again, harder now, more urgently. Pushing me down onto the bed and running his hands under my silk robe and over my naked body, gathering my full breasts in his hands and burying his face in their warm softness. I felt his mouth open and take a nipple between his cool lips, running his tongue over it and then sucking hard, teasing it erect. He moved his mouth slowly down my body, leaving cool wet kisses on my hot skin.

"Lie back" he commanded as he moved between my spread thighs and began to lick gently at the juices which were flowing from my warm flesh. I moaned as he moved his mouth onto my wet folds, sliding his tongue into my opening and beginning to probe deeper. I frantically grabbed a handful of the sheet beneath us and hung on to it as Bill slid two of his long elegant fingers inside me and began to stroke me with them, the tip of his tongue now moving over the sensitive little bud buried within my folds.

I cried out as I felt the familiar rush of warmth burst inside me, but he didn't stop. I felt his mouth move to the inside of my thigh and the sudden, sharp pain of his fangs penetrating my flesh as the warmth flowed out into me, turning my limbs to water. He continued to move his fingers inside me as he drank deeply, carrying on through my climax and drawing me up towards a second peak.

"No...no Bill please!" I was writhing against him now and begging him to take me. He took pity on me and withdrew his fingers, moving up to straddle my hips, the tip of his thick, solid shaft brushing against my soft dark hair. His hand slid down my thigh and grasped my calf pulling my leg up and over his shoulder, spreading me open wider as he thrust himself into my slick, warm passage and began to move strongly inside me, driving in harder as he felt my heightened arousal through the bond. I pulled my leg down and wrapped it around his waist, running my hands over his muscled chest and around his neck, pulling him down to me and covering his throat with hot kisses. Just as I thought that I couldn't bear it any longer I felt the muscles in Bill's thighs tightening and I bit down into the soft flesh at the base of his throat. As his sweet, thick blood ran over my lips, he gave a deep growl and I felt him twitch and jerk inside me as he reached his own climax.

I clung to him, licking at his blood as it oozed from the ragged little wound. I always hated the way it looked, but it healed up almost immediately and he loved it so much. It had seemed strange to me at first that a vampire would find being bitten himself to be so erotic, but he obviously did...I could feel his powerful arousal through the bond and I knew he was not finished with me yet. I smiled as he pulled away from me and sat up.

He knelt on the bed in front of me and ran his hand down his stomach, his fingers sliding into the soft hair at his groin. Without taking his eyes off me he wrapped his long fingers around his thick manhood and began to stroke himself, his fingers curled around the shaft and his thumb caressing the swollen head with each stroke. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. It was the most arousing sight I had ever seen in my life.

Suddenly I wanted him, again. I couldn't bear the thought that he was apart from me. I got up and moved in front of him putting my arms around his neck and kissing him frantically. He released himself and put his arms around my waist, pulling me closer, his tongue gently probing between my lips, his substantial erection, encouraged by his own gentle ministrations, pushing itself against my stomach.

He removed his mouth from mine and breathed into my ear "Tell me what you want sweetheart, I'll do anything you ask of me."

I gave a little groan. "I want you inside me Bill" I whispered "I want to feel you deep inside me."

"I think I can oblige you in that case" he murmured, laying me down on the crumpled sheets and running his cool hands down my thighs. He slid his arm under my hips and rolled me over onto my stomach. "Like this?" he asked softly. I gave a little moan in answer and he pulled my hips up off the bed and drove himself into me deeply with a cry of pleasure. I gasped and dug my fingers into the sheets as he pulled out and then pushed back in powerfully, the friction of his long slow strokes driving me wild with hunger for him. "Oh Bill!" I moaned "That feels so good!"

"Is this what you want?" he breathed.

"Oh yes...please don't stop!"

It soon became obvious that he didn't intend to. He was relentless, driving into me and growling savagely with each stroke. The end came too soon, but at the same time for both of us and we clung together, entwined on the damp sheets, Bill's strong arms holding me tightly against his hard body as we drifted into sleep.

I didn't wake until after dusk the next night, a combination of the party and it's emotional and physical aftermath had left me exhausted. I opened my eyes to see Bill gently stroking my hair.

"Hello sweetheart" he said, smiling down at me "I didn't wake you did I? You were sleeping so peacefully."

"Have I slept all day?" I asked drowsily "what time is it?"

"I woke about ten minutes ago, to find you still curled up in my arms." he said. "You looked so comfortable I didn't like to move in case I disturbed you."

"I should get up" I said yawning. "I'm really hungry!"

"Why don't you phone for something to be delivered?" suggested Bill.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" I asked crawling out of bed and heading for the bathroom.

"Of course not" he said lying back and watching me. "You need to keep your strength up!" I turned back to him.

"You can't still be hungry surely?" I asked.

"I'm always hungry for you!" he said running his tongue over his fangs.

I just laughed and climbed into the shower. I half expected him to join me, but he didn't and when I got out and went back to the bedroom for my clothes he was already dressed.

"I have to go into town for a while on business" he explained. "Some disagreement which requires my judgement as Sheriff. I won't be very long. Charles will be arriving in an couple of hours, he says he has someone he wants me to meet. Will you stay here and wait for me?" he asked smiling. "I'll make it worth your while!"

"Sure" I answered "I'll be waiting."

I gave him a kiss and he left. A moment later I heard his car start up and move off down the driveway. I phoned my favourite Chinese Restaurant for a takeaway and went into the lounge. Turning on the lamp by the end of the sofa, I curled up amongst the cushions and was soon buried in a book.

My food arrived in record time and I ate ravenously, devouring everything in the small plastic trays and, leaving them in the kitchen, went back to my book.

I was so engrossed in my reading that I jumped when I heard the doorbell again. I looked at the clock in surprise to see that more than two hours had passed and I had hardly noticed. Bill's business must be taking him longer than he had thought. I assumed that Charles must have arrived and I went to the door a little uneasily. I had thought that Bill would be back before he arrived but I didn't feel that I could keep him standing on the doorstep. It was hardly polite!

Sure enough, when I opened the door Charles was standing outside with a young man who had his back to me and was looking back down the driveway. He turned and smiled to see me standing at the door. "Well, you're not at all what I expected!" he said looking questioningly at Charles.

"Good evening Alex" he said giving me a bright smile, "I think Bill's expecting me?"

"He had to go out to take care of some business." I explained. "Please, come in."

We walked together into the lounge and Charles introduced me to the young man. "This is Alex, Bill's...what?" he asked gazing innocently at me "girlfriend...partner...lover...companion?"

I gave him a nasty look "All of the above" I said sweetly.

"Alex, this is an old friend of mine, he's come down from London to meet my newest Sheriff, Laurence Peterson." I smiled politely at the young man wondering vaguely where I had heard that name before.

"Can I offer you a Tru Blood?" I asked "We only have O negative I'm afraid."

"That would be very kind" said Charles and I headed into the kitchen to fetch the refreshments, leaving Charles and Laurence in the lounge. As I opened the fridge I suddenly remembered where I had heard the name before. I glanced back into the lounge and saw the short blonde hair and grey eyes that Bill had described to me. Lazlo! This was Lazlo Petrovic!

I felt in my pocket for my phone and while the bottles were warming in the microwave, sent a quick text message to Bill's personal phone. He hated sending texts himself so I didn't expect any reply but at least he would be forewarned of who was in his house.

I took the drinks into the lounge and mixed myself a gin and tonic. The three of us sat down and made polite, inconsequential conversation for the next ten minutes or so, which, it turned out was the length of time it took Bill to come racing back up from town.

I heard the front door open and seconds later he came into the lounge. Lazlo was standing at the terrace window looking out and he turned as Bill came in. I saw his eyes light up with recognition as soon as he saw him.

"William!" he said, sounding genuinely pleased. "Charles, why didn't you tell me the name of your new sheriff?"

Charles looked surprised. "I didn't know that you knew Laurence?" he said.

Bill turned to him "Oh yes! I've met Lazlo before."

If Charles was surprised before, now he looked positively shocked to find that Bill knew Lazlo's real name.

"You've never mentioned him!" Charles sounded almost accusing.

"I haven't seen him since the nineteen thirties" explained Bill.

"That's right" said Lazlo, "you stayed at my place in London for a while didn't you and then disappeared one night. I came home to find that you had left. Gerry never did quite explain what the problem was."

"Gerry!" said Charles, snapping his fingers "Of course, he's one of yours isn't he? I should have guessed!"

"The problem" said Bill quietly "was your housemaid, Daisy."

"Daisy?" Lazlo's brow furrowed in thought "wasn't she the one who ran away with next door's chauffeur?"

"That was Edith" said Bill coldly "Daisy was the one that Gerry and I were forced to dump in the lake after one of your little parties!"

Lazlo gave a short laugh "I must say you're surprisingly well informed about my household arrangements! I never knew that you were so friendly with my domestic staff…..oh wait, wasn't she the redheaded one? The one that that you had over the back of the sofa…"

"I was drugged!" cried Bill angrily.

Charles gave a bellow of laughter. "Bill!...you took drugs and screwed one of his housemaids? Damn it Bill, I never knew you could be so much fun!"

"It was not funny!"

I could feel Bill's anger surging up through the bond and I suddenly felt I needed to be somewhere else. "Um….I'll just be…."

"You say right where you are!" ordered Bill.

"…..staying right where I am." I whispered, climbing into an armchair in the corner and trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible.

"Oh come now William" said Lazlo soothingly "Charles has just been telling me what an asset you are to our cause. Now I'm sure we're not going to fall out over some little slut of a housemaid who has been dead for the last seventy years are we?"

I could feel Bill hanging onto his temper with an effort.

"Besides, I think I might want to buy a property around here, it's such a lovely area, such beautiful views" he said, staring at me with a worrying intensity. "I'd certainly like to get to know your friend a little better...she smells delicious!" He turned to Bill who appeared to have gone rigid with fury. "She has the fae blood, doesn't she?"

Charles gave a little gasp "So that's it...I've never tasted it before so I didn't recognise it. But I suppose you'd know."

Bill stared at him with a puzzled expression.

"You didn't know?" Charles asked "He has the fae blood himself."

Lazlo smiled, his startling pale grey eyes wide. "That's right...I'm part fairy! Quite a large part in fact." he laughed. "Wait...you've tasted her Charles? So now it's my turn!"

Bill stood directly in front of Lazlo and glared at him furiously. "You will not lay so much as a finger on her! She is mine!"

Charles turned to Lazlo and said "He has a point..."

Before he could finish Lazlo had whipped around like a snake and punched him on the jaw so hard he flew across the lounge and crashed down onto the glass coffee table which shattered leaving him lying stunned in a sea of broken glass and blood.

He calmly turned back to Bill. "Now you're surely not going to challenge me are you William? I'm over ten times your age...you wouldn't stand a chance!"

Bill said nothing. He simply stood his ground while I crouched in the armchair, watching them. For a second or two they stood and stared at each other, then there was a brief blur and Lazlo was on him, his hands clutching at Bill's throat. Bill was putting up a good struggle but it was clear that Lazlo was much the stronger. Now that his piercing eyes were off me I found that I could move and I slid out of the chair and backed quietly away into the kitchen.

I looked back into the lounge. Lazlo had Bill on the floor now and was crouched on top of him, choking him slowly. Bill still had a good grip on him but it was clear that he was weakening. Damn it, what could I do? I opened cupboards at random and spotted the old heavy iron pan that I cooked my breakfast omelettes in. It was so heavy I struggled to lift the damn thing. Hadn't I read somewhere that iron was proof against fairies? Wasn't that why people nailed horseshoes over their doors? It was the only piece of iron with holes in that they were likely to have lying around. I picked up the pan and slipped back into the lounge unnoticed. Bill and Lazlo were struggling on the floor at the side of the sofa and I climbed up onto it and braced myself against the arm.

"Hey! Tinkerbell!" I yelled.

Lazlo raised his head, surprised, just as I swung with all the strength given to me by Bill's blood and the heavy iron pan caught him right behind the ear throwing him off Bill and laying him out on the rug.

Bill immediately struggled to his knees, coughing. "My case" he gasped "in the hall...quickly!" I dropped the pan and raced into the hall where a small suitcase stood next to the door. I'd never seen it before but I grabbed at it and tried to rush back to the lounge. I nearly pulled my arm out of the socket, the case was so heavy I could barely move it! I dragged it back into the lounge with a huge effort.

"Open it...quickly" said Bill, backing away slightly.

I prized open the catch and opened the case. To my surprise it was full of thick, heavy chain. No wonder I hadn't been able to lift it!

"Spread the chain over him Alex...it's silver, I can't touch it!" I heaved at the chain and pulled loops of it out of the case spreading them over Lazlo's body. Most of the chain was over his clothing but I noticed that where it touched his skin, the flesh began to smoke. As I pulled at it a pair of thick leather gloves fell out of the case and Bill reached for them, pulled them on and began to help me.

"We just need to immobilise him before he comes round" he explained, his voice harsh with pain.

"Immobilise him!" I gasped "Bill, there's enough chain here to hold the Titanic!"

By this time Lazlo was covered with sufficient silver to satisfy Bill and he sank back onto the rug with a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. I sat beside him and examined the purple marks on his throat. He opened his eyes and looked up at me.

"Tinkerbell?"

"Don't knock it! It got his attention didn't it!"

There was a muffled roar and a crash of broken glass from the other side of the room and Charles stood up from the wreckage of the coffee table holding a hand to his jaw. The whole side of his face was black with bruising where Lazlo had hit him and I could swear that I saw a distinct dent in his cheekbone.

"That little rat" he muttered through his clenched teeth. "He got lucky, caught me off balance! Are you all right?" he glanced over at me "I'll call my security, don't worry, he won't get far." He came around the corner of the sofa and saw Lazlo lying on the rug. He froze and stared at Bill who was still on his knees rubbing at his throat.

"You...you did this?" he said in amazement. "There's more to you than I thought. I'd have had trouble subduing Lazlo myself..." He looked at Bill with a new respect. "Well, Gerry was certainly right to recommend you as sheriff!" He pulled a phone out of his pocket and turned away, in a moment we heard him barking orders into the phone, calling for backup.

I began to relax a little and looked down at Bill whose throat was still circled with ugly purple bruises. I offered him my wrist with a little smile. He sat up and gave me a gentle kiss, taking my wrist in his hand. I gritted my teeth as he bit carefully into the vein and took a mouthful or two of my blood. I could see the purple stains beginning to fade almost immediately and he kissed me again. "Thank you" he whispered. He looked over to where Charles was still talking into the phone, tapped my wrist with a finger and glanced over at Charles.

"What?" I whispered "You want me to offer to...?"

"He's badly hurt, and he would be indebted to you" whispered Bill "and besides..." he lowered his voice further until he was just breathing into my ear "we might need his help when Lazlo comes round."

I took a deep breath "Okay...but you watch him, I don't trust him!" I got up just as Charles turned back to us. He was still holding his jaw, which did indeed appear to be broken and was obviously in some pain brought on by his phone conversation.

"Charles!" I called and held up my wrist which still had droplets of blood oozing from Bill's fang marks. He stopped dead and stared at me for a moment. Bill got to his feet and put an arm around my shoulders.

"You're hurt Charles" he said "Let her help you."

Charles looked from Bill to me and then back to Bill. "You're okay with this?" he asked, surprised.

Bill gave him a severe look "You'll only need a mouthful!" he said "I've got my eye on you!"

Charles laughed and then grimaced as he clutched his face in his hands "Oh...you're right!" He came over to us and I held up my wrist. He looked me in the eyes and smiled, then gave my wrist a gentle kiss before fastening his lips around the little wound and drawing out a mouthful of blood. He pulled back immediately and I could see the ugly black bruises beginning to fade, just as Bill's had.

"Thank you Alexandra, that's much better." he said seriously. "I'm really very grateful."

Suddenly I heard a banging on the front door and several shadows appeared in the darkness of the terrace outside. I gave a little cry and jumped back into Bill's arms.

Charles smiled "Don't worry, that'll be my security" he bit the tip of his finger and carefully smeared the blood over the two tiny punctures in my wrist, healing them instantly.

Just then the door to the hallway opened and three vampires ran into the room. One went straight to the terrace doors and opened them letting two more in from the terrace. I noticed that they were all wearing thick leather gloves and two of them carried more loops of heavy silver chain, evidently the vampire's weapon of choice against other vampires.

Charles gestured at Lazlo who was just starting to come round. Get him in the van boys, and make sure he's secure.

I pulled away from Bill and retreated to the relative safety of my armchair while the five vampires hauled the smoking Lazlo out, hissing and struggling in the silver chains. Charles went with them and Bill came over to where I sat.

"Bill" I said quietly, taking his hands "promise me you'll never tell Charles that I hit Lazlo round the ear with a frying pan?"

He laughed "Why on earth not?" he asked "you deserve the credit, you saved my life. There's no way I could have beaten Lazlo and you know it!"

"And yet you stood your ground to protect me" I said "even though you knew he could easily have killed you. The same way you did with that gunman."

Bill sank down to his knees in front of the armchair. "Because I couldn't bear to lose you." he said simply. "I promise I won't tell him. Besides, he probably wouldn't believe it if I did tell him. I'm still not sure I believe it myself, and I saw it!" he stared at me for a moment "You must have had more of my blood than I thought, to be able to knock him out like that."

"I think it was the pan rather than me" I explained "It's iron." Bill looked completely mystified by this statement. "Fairies can't bear the touch of iron." I said "It's in all the best fairy stories! He did say he had a lot of fae in him. I guess he was right." Bill was staring at me in amazement.

"You thought of that in the middle of that fight? You're incredible, you do know that?"

"Of course I know that!" I laughed "But then so are you. More so now, in fact. Charles was certainly impressed with you!"

"But it wasn't me though was it?"

"Well I'm not going to tell him now am I? Let's just hope it never happens again. Lazlo's certainly going to be good and mad at us!"

"Lazlo may be very old and very powerful, but so is Charles and you may have noticed that he's not a man who forgives easily. It's highly unlikely that he would forgive Lazlo for attacking one of his sheriffs, but attacking him...no, I think we've seen the last of him for a while!"

"Do you know," I said " I thought just for a moment of Daisy when I swung that pan."

Bill laughed again "Well" he said with a smile "you certainly gave him something to remember her by!"


End file.
